Château Cardinal Villemaurine

Identity

Château Cardinal Villemaurine is a winegrowing estate whose history dates back to the 19th century. It has been owned by the Leclérot family since its acquisition in September 2018. Olivier Leclérot serves as the winemaker. The origin of the name Cardinal is linked to the stay of Cardinal Gaillard de la Mothe, nephew of Bertrand de Goth, who became Pope Clément V. The name Villemaurine is believed to refer to the period of the Saracen invasions around 732, denoting an observation camp of the Moorish armies.

History and philosophy

The Château Cardinal Villemaurine vineyard was established in the 19th century. The Leclérot family acquired the property in 2018. The estate's philosophy centres around values of respect, authenticity, and precision. Viticultural practices focus on a sustainable, thoughtful approach to the vineyard, an ethos cemented by Level 3 Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) certification.

The appellations

The wines of Château Cardinal Villemaurine are produced under the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation.

Practical information

The estate welcomes visitors all year round, by appointment only for tours and tastings. The shop is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00. Several tour packages are available, ranging from 30 minutes (‘Déguster’), 1 hour (‘S'initier’), 1.5 hours (‘Comprendre’, ‘Comparer’, ‘Accorder’), 2 hours (‘Composer’, ‘Se Régalers’), to 3 hours (‘Cuisiner’). Certain tours have limited capacity, such as ‘Composer’ (2 to 6 people) and ‘Cuisiner’ (4 to 8 people).

Find out more

Official estate website

The vineyard (terroir)

The Château Cardinal Villemaurine vineyard covers an area of 4 hectares, divided into three production blocks. The soils consist of clay, limestone, and sandy-clay parcels. The average age of the vines is 30 years. The grape varieties planted comprise 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.

Vineyard management includes natural cover cropping, shallow soil tillage, and mechanical weed control. Certain plots are ploughed with horses, and many tasks are carried out by hand. Harvesting is done manually in small crates, with sorting tailored each year and to each plot.

Signature cuvées

The estate produces two main cuvées: Château Cardinal-Villemaurine and L’Eminence de Cardinal-Villemaurine. The blends of Château Cardinal-Villemaurine are predominantly Merlot, complemented by Cabernet Franc, as illustrated by the 2022 vintage blend consisting of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc. These wines are defined by profiles that reflect the quintessential expression of the Saint-Émilion terroir.

Vinification and ageing

Vinification at Château Cardinal Villemaurine is plot-by-plot, carried out in five temperature-controlled, raw concrete vats. Grapes are gravity-fed into vats following a sorting process adapted to each parcel. A cold pre-fermentation maceration precedes alcoholic fermentation conducted between 23°C and 26°C. Extraction is achieved through gentle pump-overs.

Ageing for Château Cardinal-Villemaurine lasts 12 months, combining the use of concrete vats, French oak barrels, and amphorae. Since the 2019 vintage, the estate has worked with a single cooperage, AnA Sélection, with a tailored selection of forest origins and barrel toast levels.